Flyers’ Ivаn Fedotov Sһаres Emotіonаl Reасtіon to Fіrst NHL Wіn

When the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in a shootout on Thursday night, it was a big win for just about everybody on the team. The win, understandably, meant the most to goalie Ivan Fedotov.

Fedotov, appearing in his first game action since Oct. 23, stopped 22 of 23 shots from a talented Lightning team en route to a .957 save percentage and earning his first NHL win. A first NHL win that was a long time coming.

Finding out about starting the game only a few hours beforehand, due to Aleksei Kolosov’s injury, probably wasn’t the way Fedotov drew it up, but a win is a win.

“A little bit of a surprise for me. This morning we had a normal practice and, yeah. Something happened… I don’t know exactly what happened,” Fedotov said of his gameday preparations. “Coach just came to me and told me ‘Be ready. We’ll let you know if something happens, so you have to be ready.’

“So, yeah, that’s it, and I played tonight. It felt a little bit tough, of course. First half of the game, tough. You have to find the rhythm of the game. Try to find your way, how you have to do everything. ”

Kolosov was absent from practice on Friday, though Sam Ersson has been doing some light skating and practicing of his own as he works his way back from injury.

“It’s tough,” Fedotov said. “You feel pressure, you feel everything, but it’s part of (your) job. It is what it is.”

If things continue trending this way, it will be Fedotov’s crease for at least one more game with a Saturday showdown against Florida on tap.

In the meantime, though, the hulking 27-year-old Russian goalie will try to process his emotions and feelings after earning his first NHL win with a masterful performance against Tampa Bay on Thursday night.

“Oh…” Fedotov said with a smile before looking down to think. “Right now it’s tough, hard to say because I need maybe a little bit of sleep and a little bit think again what I did, what we did. Everybody knows my story. Everybody knows what happened. But, this is in the past. Now it’s new chapter, new page and great feelings to be here and get the first win.

“I need the time to just, you know, realize!”

Remember that, after he signed his entry-level contract with the Flyers and was preparing to move to North America, Fedotov was arrested on July 1, 2022, on suspicion of evasion of military service, and was even hospitalized due to illness resulting from the situation.

Fedotov accordingly missed the entire 2022-23 season after having won the KHL Gagarin Cup and an Olympic Silver Medal, as well as being named KHL Best Goaltender, before returning to hockey last season.

Now, after all that, Fedotov is a Flyers player and has earned his first NHL win when his team needed him the most.